What’s your vision?

New Year’s Eve. Such pressure to be at THE event of the year and have THE best time. Sometimes it certainly IS that. But sometimes it is a mix of complicated parking, weak yet expensive drinks and a ball drop in a room full of people you barely know.

A while back, I started a tradition to create a vision board on New Year’s Eve. It is a really simple, creative, satisfying project.

What is a vision board? It can be done in several different ways but I do it by collecting pictures, words, phrases, etc. that represented the things I wanted to have in my life in the upcoming year. They’re all a part of my personal vision. Then I attach them to a board with ribbon and tape and post it up in my closet. My mom first introduced the idea to me during a particularly hard time in my life and I found it to be really soothing and refreshing.

What I like about a vision board is that it is about being open to possibilities and positive new things coming into your life. It isn’t about forcing yourself into something you don’t really want to do. It isn’t about setting you up for failure but setting you up for success. For example, people sometimes ask me “what is your dream job?” and I always say that I don’t want to define it because maybe my “dream job” is something better than I could have ever imagined or planned out for myself. Maybe that job or tv show or hosting opportunity or project hasn’t even been invented yet. That’s not to say I don’t work hard to be the best in my current role, or set defined goals, it is just to say that I don’t want to limit the possibilities.

I like to keep my vision board in a closet or a bedroom wall or even in the garage, right where I park. That way, it is personal (I don’t really have to explain it to anyone) and I see it frequently, so I’m reminded of my vision for my life.

So, tonight, instead of going out, my fiancée and I are staying in and creating vision boards for the upcoming year. I’m so looking forward to posting up ideas about what the future might hold and thankfully he’s on the same page. If you don’t have big plans for the night, I invite you to do the same! Of course you don’t have to do this sort of thing on New Year’s Eve, I really think it is a great tool year-round.

Here are the loose remnants of my vision board from 2008 to give you an idea. This board has been through 4 different moves and a lot of living. But, what’s left of it reminds me of the things that I have accomplished, even if they didn’t happen that very first year or exactly as I imagined. There is a picture of a hot air balloon. My mom and I got to go on a beautiful, breathtaking hot air balloon ride in 2010. There is a picture of a host on the red carpet and I got to host my first movie premiere this year in Dallas. There is a picture of a snowboarder and I was lucky enough to go on a couple of awesome snowboarding trips the past few years. There are a couple of pictures of books, representing books I’d like to write. While that hasn’t happened yet, maybe this blog is the start of that. Who knows! The vision is open!

Written by Jenny Anchondo

Jenny Anchondo is a Dallas-based news anchor and reporter who has worked at TV stations all over the country. She's also a certified personal trainer and fitness expert. Her goal is to to empower others to find their own version of happiness and success.